Top 10 Footballers Who Own a Club: Famous Players Turned Club Owners

Over the years, football has evolved beyond the pitch. In addition to heading into managerial roles after their career as professional footballers, some legendary names of our generation are now stepping into ownership roles. After years of players transitioning to punditry, this shift to club ownership is shaping a new trend. From retired legends to active players, there are many footballers who own a club nowadays.

From David Beckham to Cristiano Ronaldo, marquee superstars are transitioning into boardroom roles using their worldwide influence and wealth. In this post, we will take a look at the top 10 footballers who own a club.

List of Famous Footballers Who Own a Club

Across the world, there are a lot of famous footballers who own a club. Our list below comprises marquee names who hold majority or minority stakes in the club. Some of them are still playing their favorite sport, while others hung up their boots a long time ago.

Top 10 Footballers Who Own a Club in the World: Famous Players Turned Owners

Modern footballers are often seen taking a strong interest in financial investments and business interests. Club ownership has emerged as a growing investment trend among elite footballers. Let us take a look at the top 10 footballers who own a club in the world.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr)

Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival at the Al Nassr club back in 2023 promised way more than just the arrival of the Portuguese superstar. Over time, we have seen massive changes to his contract as a club.

The recent changes to his contract include influence on the Saudi club's sporting decisions. As per his latest contract, he is now an active player of Al Nassr who owns a minority stake in the club. In addition to the 15% ownership stake, the legendary Portuguese player also gets huge sponsorship deals on top of his wages and bonuses.

Kylian Mbappe (Caen)

Kylian Mbappe doesn't only make smart choices during his games, but off the pitch, the Frenchman takes a strong interest in business investments as well. Similar to his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, the star forward of Real Madrid is a part-owner of a football club. A strong move by one of the best football players right now.

Back in 2024, Kylian Mbappe replaced the major stakeholder of the Ligue 2 club, Caen. Through Interconnected Ventures, which was founded by Kylian Mbappe himself, he replaced Oaktree, a company that purchased 80% of the shares of the club back in 2020. This takeover made him the major shareholder of the club. He is one of the top 10 footballers who own a club in Europe right now.

David Beckham (Inter Miami)

David Beckham is a name in football that needs no introduction to the fans. Similar to his playing years, the Englishman has made a name for himself in the business world of football. Back in January 2019, Beckham secured a 10% stake in Inter Miami in his role as a director. Together with the Mas brothers, Marcelo Claure, and Masa Son, the Englishman keeps taking the MLS club to new heights.

In addition to being one of the retired footballers who own a club, he is also a majority owner of Guild Esports, which is a UK esports franchise. In addition to assets inside sports, the Englishman also has a massive property empire and other assets.

Ronaldo Nazario (Real Valladolid)

Speaking of retired famous footballers who own a club, Ronaldo Nazario makes it to our list for his ownership in Real Valladolid. The former Barcelona and Real Madrid forward took over the club back in 2019.

Back then, he had 51% stake in the club. In 2025, he sold the majority of his stakes of the club, and as of now, the details of how many stakes he has of La Pucela are still unknown.

Luka Modric (Swansea City)

Luka Modric is one of the top 10 footballers who own a club in Europe. The Croatian International made quite the headlines when he secured a transfer to AC Milan in 2025.

A couple of months before his departure from Real Madrid, the midfielder joined forces with Jason Cohen, Andy Coleman, and Brett Caravatt to be a co-owner of Swansea City. Together they own approximately 77.4% share of the club.

Paolo Maldini (Miami FC)

After being founded by Riccardo Silva, Miami FC saw the arrival of the legendary Italian defender Paolo Maldini as a co-owner. While he took on the technical aspects initially, over time, his role evolved steadily.

Following the AC Milan duty calls, the Italian's regular involvement in Miami FC reduced. However, he is still a co-owner of the club. As of now, the details of his stake at the club are unknown.

Thierry Henry (Como 1907)

Thierry Henry is also included in our list of famous footballers who own a club because of his ownership of Como 1907. Back in 2022, the Frenchman joined Cesc Fabregas to co-own the Italian club.

While there are no exact details on how many stakes he owns at the club, many reports suggest it is only 1%. In addition to his club ownership, the Frenchman is also considered among the top 10 best football pundits.

Vinicius Jr. (FC Alverca)

Similar to his Real Madrid teammate, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr. is also one of the footballers who own a club while still an active player. Back in 2025, the Brazilian became the majority owner of FC Alverca.

His investments back then prioritized upgrading the infrastructure of the Lisbon-based club. While the exact ownership figures are not known, the stake is expected to be between 70% and 80%.

Lionel Messi (Deportivo LSM)

The world is familiar with the magical career that Lionel Messi had over the years. From the Ballon d'Or tales to the World Cup glory, La Pulga has done it all. Outside of his records as a player, the Argentine International became one of the few active footballers who own a club when he became the co-owner of Deportivo LSM back in 2025.

His teammate at Barcelona and Inter Miami, Luis Suarez, joined him on this quest. As of right now, the details of stake percentage for both are undisclosed.

Gerard Pique (FC Andorra)

Back in 2018, Gerard Piqué's firm, Kosmos, purchased FC Andorra, making the World Cup winner one of the famous footballers who own a club. In addition to his staggering 4 million euro investment in the stadium's infrastructure.

The Spaniard has done wonders with the club since owning a controlling majority stake. In addition to FC Andorra, the ex-Barcelona defender also has a majority stake in Gimnastic Manresa.

Famous footballers who own a club: Honorable Mentions

In addition to the top 10 footballers who own a club in the world we mentioned above, here are a few honorable mentions:

These are all the famous footballers who own a club currently. Given that club ownership has become a new trend among active and retired footballers, in the coming years, we might see other marquee players becoming owners of football clubs across the world.